Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny located, confirms his team
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been found at a Siberian penal colony, his team confirms After being out of contact for two weeks, this discovery sheds light on his whereabouts
Alexey Navalny, a prominent opponent of the Kremlin, has been located at a penal colony in Siberia, according to his team. This comes two weeks after they lost contact with him.
"We have located Alexey," stated his spokesperson Kira Yarmysh on X, previously known as Twitter. "He is currently at IK-3 in the settlement of Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District."
Navalny's lawyer visited him earlier on Monday and reported that the imprisoned activist is in good condition. On December 11, Navalny's legal team stated that they had lost contact with him while he was being held in a penal colony roughly 150 miles east of Moscow.
Navalny's team expressed concern about his extended absence, stating that he had never been hidden for such a prolonged period. They reported that he had been deprived of food and kept in a punishment cell without ventilation, resulting in poor health. His disappearance occurred shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his intention to run for re-election in March 2024, leading to fears for Navalny's well-being and safety.
Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation, described the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp, where Navalny is currently incarcerated, as the "Polar Wolf," noting that it is one of the most remote and northernmost colonies. Zhdanov emphasized the challenging conditions in the permafrost zone and the difficulty in accessing the facility, pointing out the lack of a letter delivery system.
Zhdanov mentioned that Navalny's lawyer was not immediately allowed into the penal colony. He suggested that the colony had been prepared in advance for Navalny's arrival and noted that the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Arkady Gostev, had been there in April, possibly leading to the decision to transfer Alexey there.
Kharp is nearly 2,000 miles away from Moscow, where Navalny was previously incarcerated. In August, he was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison for founding an extremist group, funding extremist activities, and various other offenses.
Navalny's supporters allege that his arrest and imprisonment are politically driven efforts to silence his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Stay tuned for updates on this evolving situation.
